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The Dallas Stars had a chance to return to the Western Conference Finals when they hosted the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Instead, they destroyed themselves with a 4-0 win for the Golden Knights, led by their captain Jamie Benn, who was sent off for an indisciplined penalty less than two minutes into the game. At the end of the game, the Stars pulled their starting goalie, lost a forward through injury, suffered another lengthy game with another undisciplined game, and the second period ended early as fans threw objects on the ice.
The Golden Knights took a comfortable 3-0 lead in the series and can secure their second appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals with a win in Dallas on Thursday night.
How the Dallas Stars self-destructed
Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault scored on the Golden Knights’ first shot 71 seconds into the game.
Then Benn made things worse.
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He brought down Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. Benn then bent over and checked a sliding face/neck stone at 1:53 of the first period. The on-ice referees awarded a heavy five-minute penalty, which was upheld after a review, leaving the Stars without their fourth playoff scorer for the remainder of the game.
Benn has 33 goals in the regular season and has 11 points in 16 playoff games. He could face additional disciplinary action from the league.
“He made a mistake. Nobody feels worse about it than him,” said Stars coach Peter DeBoer. “Fortunately, Mark Stone is doing well. We will live with the consequences, whatever they may be. We lived with them tonight and will continue to live with them in the future if there are any other additional disciplinary measures.”
Ivan Barbashev scored on the five-minute power play and William Carrier scored 17 seconds after the end of the penalty kick to give Vegas a 3-0 lead. That led to DeBoer pulling off goalie Jake Oettinger (three clean sheets from five shots) for the third time this postseason.
Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov left the game with a lower body injury following a clash with teammate Roope Hintz and did not return. DeBoer didn’t have an update after the game.
Dallas’ Max Domi conceded a 14-minute penalty late in the second period in a scuffle with Nicolas Hague. Stars fans threw objects onto the ice, causing the referees to end the period early and move the final 22 seconds to the start of period three.
“I think we all have to get better to get out of this hole,” DeBoer said.
What did the Golden Knights do right?
They opened the game for only the fourth time in the playoffs and did not have to come from behind as they led the league eight times.
“We made it by playing it the way we wanted to play, so that’s the encouraging part,” said coach Bruce Cassidy.
Barbashev, a trade deadline acquisition and former Stanley Cup winner, had one goal and two assists. That gives him 13 points in 14 games this postseason.
Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo scored their first goals of the postseason and Adin Hill had his first playoff shutout of his career.
But Brett Howden, who scored in Game 1 in overtime, was forced out of Game 3 with a lower body injury. Cassidy said he didn’t think it was serious. “We decided not to push it,” Cassidy said.